From the DPIC: "The White House has ordered state courts to consider the complaints of
51 Mexican foreign nationals on death row in the United States. This
Executive Order is an abrupt international policy shift for the Bush
administration and comes just weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court is
scheduled to consider what
effect U.S. courts should give to a ruling in favor of the 51 foreign
nationals by the United Nations' highest tribunal, the
International Court of Justice at the Hague. The World Court found that
the U.S.
government had failed to comply with the requirements of the Vienna
Convention on Consular Relations, and it directed that U.S. courts give
the Mexican foreign national inmates "meaningful review" of their convictions and sentences, without
applying procedural default rules to prevent consideration of the
defendants' claims. In his memorandum to the attorney general, President Bush stated that he had determined "that the United States will discharge its international obligations under the decision of the International Court of Justice"
and he ordered the state courts to grant review. It is unclear if the
Administration's decision will affect the U.S. Supreme Court's
consideration of the case." More . . . [Mark Godsey]